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Diabetes increases risk for S. aureus bacteremia
Life-threatening blood infections with Staphylococcus aureus are nearly three times more likely among patients with diabetes compared with those without diabetes, according to study findings published in the European Journal of Endocrinology.
“It has long been a clinical belief that diabetes increases the risk of S. aureus infection, but until now this has been supported by scant evidence,” Jesper Smit, MD, a registrar at Aalborg University Hospital in Denmark, said in a press release. “Poor management of diabetes can lead to an impaired immune response. This may be the reason why diabetes patients are at higher risk of infection. Similarly, diabetic patients often suffer associated illnesses — the burden of multiple health care problems can also increase susceptibility to infection.”
Smit and colleagues used population-based medical databases to evaluate 2,638 patients with community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia (27% with diabetes) and matched population controls (n = 26,379; 9.5% with diabetes) to determine the risk for community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia in people with and without diabetes.
Compared with participants without diabetes, those with diabetes had an increased risk for community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia (unadjusted OR = 3.7; 95% CI, 3.4-4.1). Diabetes duration of at least 10 years also increased the risk for community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia compared with participants without diabetes or those with a shorter disease duration (adjusted OR = 3.8; 95% CI, 3.2-4.6). Increases in HbA1c levels also increased the risk for community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia.
Compared with participants without diabetes, those with diabetes and diabetes complications had an increased risk for community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia (adjusted OR = 2.3; 95% CI, 2-2.7). The risk also was increased among participants with diabetes and microvascular complications (adjusted OR = 5.5; 95% CI, 4.2-7.2), macrovascular complications (adjusted OR = 2.7; 95% CI, 2.2-3.3) and combined macro- and microvascular complications (adjusted OR = 7; 95% CI, 5.4-9).
“Persons with diabetes experienced an almost threefold increased risk of [community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia] compared to persons without diabetes,” the researchers wrote. “Long diabetes duration, suboptimal glycemic control and diabetes complications, including renal disease, further increased the risk of [community-acquired S. aureus bacteremia]. These results emphasize the importance of improved preventive care for patients with diabetes, including optimize glycemic control and, particularly, good infection surveillance among patients with long duration of diabetes and complications.” – by Amber Cox
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
“These results emphasize the importance of improved preventive care for patients with diabetes.”